Renewed Darfur Fighting Forces Suspension Of Aid To Refugees

November 26, 2004|By Robyn Dixon Los Angeles Times

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — The World Food Program on Thursday said that renewed fighting in the Darfur region of Sudan has forced the United Nations agency to suspend a large part of its food relief operations there, leaving 300,000 refugees without aid.

The suspension comes as demand for emergency food in the region increases because no crops were planted the past season.

The latest fighting between rebels and government forces came despite a cease-fire earlier this month. Both sides violated an April truce, according to U.N. officials and aid agencies.

On Thursday, the U.N. envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk, called for international action against Darfur rebels, saying they should be held accountable for their part in breaking the cease-fire.

"I do really think that the international community should hold them accountable for not complying with international agreements and their own promises," he said, after meeting with Egyptian diplomats in Cairo.

More than 1.5 million people in Darfur have fled their homes because of the conflict, hundreds of villages have been burned, and the United Nations estimates 70,000 have been killed or died of hunger and sickness since March.

The United States has described the violence in Darfur as genocide and the United Nations has threatened sanctions against Sudan if it fails to stop the violence and rein in pro-government militias known as "janjaweed."

The two main rebel groups, the Sudanese Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality Movement, took up arms early last year, claiming that the Darfur region had long been neglected by Khartoum, the Sudanese capital.

The pro-government militias retaliated by burning and attacking villages, shooting men and raping women.

The most recent U.N. report underscored the deteriorating security. It said SLA rebels initiated an attack in the northern Darfur town of Tawilla and 45 aid workers had to be rescued by African Union troops.